Critic Rating
(read reviews)User Rating
Directors
Ester Gould,
Reijer Zwaan
Cast
Luis Camacho,
Oliver Crumes,
Salim Gauwloos,
Jose Xtravaganza,
Kevin Stea
Genre
Documentary
In 1990, seven young male dancers joined Madonna on her most controversial world tour. The dancers became paragons of pride, inspiring people all over the world to be who they want to be. Twenty-five years later, the dancers share their own stories about life during and after the tour. What does it really take to express yourself?
The Playlist by Jessica Kiang
Gould and Zwann’s film runs along perhaps too familiar formal lines to have many tricks up its sleeve.... Yet that does not rob the inevitable meeting of its simple, sweet power, and the gentle revelations, mellowed with time, that punctuate the excited chatter are truly moving.
Los Angeles Times by Katie Walsh
It’s a loving, honest portrait of these men who were world-famous for a bright moment, and most importantly, what happens after the limelight goes away.
Original-Cin by Kim Hughes
For viewers of this doc, Strike A Pose, though perhaps overly long and repetitive, is a touching reminder that we all occupy the same world and are vulnerable to its pitfalls… even those lucky (or unlucky) enough to have briefly dwelled in the shadow of the almighty Madonna.
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Brad Wheeler
A post-tour lawsuit levelled against “motherly” Madonna by two dancers is barely dealt with; the Express Yourself singer herself isn’t interviewed. As a result, the affecting film is absent of the truth or dare it had the potential for.
Slant Magazine by Diego Semerene
The filmmakers and performers show great maturity in refusing to settle scores or spill secrets.
Village Voice by Melissa Anderson
The six surviving members of the original seven are always excellent company, though Ester Gould and Reijer Zwaan's film at times seems frustratingly under-researched.
The New York Times by Glenn Kenny
Beyond the personal stories, the movie frames the tour and Truth or Dare as landmarks in the push for gay rights and awareness, and makes a convincing case.
The Hollywood Reporter by David Rooney
While it becomes slightly padded and repetitious in the eventual reunion of the six surviving dancers, the smartly assembled film makes points that resonate in a world where fame is increasingly ephemeral and life after the celebrity window closes can get awfully cold.
The Guardian
The film makes clear that being fearless and bold is a luxury megastars can enjoy, but the rest of us end up having to make compromises.
The Guardian by Alex Needham
The film makes clear that being fearless and bold is a luxury megastars can enjoy, but the rest of us end up having to make compromises.
Variety by Dennis Harvey
By the time we see them playing “truth or dare” anew over dinner, Strike a Pose begins to feel like a rather flimsy, gimmicky exploitation rather than a thoughtful exploration of a shared, shining-moment-in-the-spotlight past.
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